see what he’s up to?” The thought alone turned her stomach. She didn’t want to even be in the same room as him, but she would do whatever it took to put an end to Caleb’s torment.
“You do whatever you think is necessary, babe.” Caleb left her to her own devices as he went to get dressed. The casual attitude to her suggestion pissed her off. I’m putting myself on the line here! Mia worried their time was already coming to an end when he didn't make a big deal about keeping her safe from harm.
Limbs too tired to make the transition to wolf, Caleb settled for his neglected Thunderbird to break free from his emotional confines. Through his fevered haze, he’d envisaged a life here. A home with someone who loved him had seemed within his grasp. All those hopes had vanished with Mia’s cutting words. He simply wasn’t worth the hassle.
Worthless. Stupid . His father’s words resurfaced to torment him.
He sped up, trying to outrun his inadequacies. Now what? Did he go along with the pretence that she wanted him here and take advantage of Rory’s charity? Or man up, accept the inevitable and head for the hills? He could keep going, follow this road to wherever and start again. He was good at that.
The road curved and he leaned into the bend. A black shape darted in front of his wheels. He swerved, but his precarious position toppled him over and sent the bike skidding.
Lying winded in the middle of the road, he saw the dark figure weaving through the undergrowth. The black wolf. When it saw he was incapacitated, it came to circle his body, sniffing and snarling. So brave now. Through the visor of his helmet, Caleb could make out the look of superiority in the wolf’s eyes that could only be Robbie.
With arrogant grace, the wolf stepped over him to where the motorbike lay immobile. It lifted its leg and pissed over Caleb’s pride and joy. If a wolf could smirk, Caleb was sure he had witnessed it before the beast crept back into the long grass
Despite feeling like road kill, Caleb managed to remove his helmet and take deep, heaving breaths. Only the notion that he could end up under someone else’s wheels gave him enough impetus to get back on his feet. The torn patches of skin and bruised ribs would heal quickly, but for now they hurt like fuck.
He hobbled over to the bike and heaved it upright. The screaming pain in his chest and the jellied condition of his legs made it impossible for him to get back on. Using it as a crutch instead, he headed back to the cottage. Now he knew what he had to do.
* * * *
“Oh my God. Caleb! What the hell happened to you?” Mia rushed across the bar to check him over so thoroughly that he could almost believe she cared.
“I came off the bike.” The cuts and bruises must have looked as bad as they felt, judging by her horrified reaction.
“Are you okay?”
He shrugged off the small hands touching his face, suddenly irritated by the open display of affection.
“I’m fine. It’s no big deal, it happens all the time.” Usually without the assistance of someone’s murderous ex-boyfriend.
“No big deal? Look at the state of you.” She gestured at the raw skin showing through his ripped clothes.
“Don’t worry. It won’t happen again.” He carried on over to the bar and ordered a beer from a shell-shocked Naomi.
“What do you mean? You can’t know that for sure.” Mia really didn’t have the right to play the nagging other half when she clearly only wanted him for one thing.
He took a sip of beer. “I sold my bike.”
“You did what?”
If only he’d kept his fridge stocked at home, he wouldn’t have had to endure her fake concern.
“I don’t need it for now, but I do need the cash to pay for the house repairs.” The dealer had been only too glad to get his hands on the bike. Caleb could always get a new one with the proceeds from the house sale.
“But you love that bike.”
“Love isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Is
“You do whatever you think is necessary, babe.” Caleb left her to her own devices as he went to get dressed. The casual attitude to her suggestion pissed her off. I’m putting myself on the line here! Mia worried their time was already coming to an end when he didn't make a big deal about keeping her safe from harm.
Limbs too tired to make the transition to wolf, Caleb settled for his neglected Thunderbird to break free from his emotional confines. Through his fevered haze, he’d envisaged a life here. A home with someone who loved him had seemed within his grasp. All those hopes had vanished with Mia’s cutting words. He simply wasn’t worth the hassle.
Worthless. Stupid . His father’s words resurfaced to torment him.
He sped up, trying to outrun his inadequacies. Now what? Did he go along with the pretence that she wanted him here and take advantage of Rory’s charity? Or man up, accept the inevitable and head for the hills? He could keep going, follow this road to wherever and start again. He was good at that.
The road curved and he leaned into the bend. A black shape darted in front of his wheels. He swerved, but his precarious position toppled him over and sent the bike skidding.
Lying winded in the middle of the road, he saw the dark figure weaving through the undergrowth. The black wolf. When it saw he was incapacitated, it came to circle his body, sniffing and snarling. So brave now. Through the visor of his helmet, Caleb could make out the look of superiority in the wolf’s eyes that could only be Robbie.
With arrogant grace, the wolf stepped over him to where the motorbike lay immobile. It lifted its leg and pissed over Caleb’s pride and joy. If a wolf could smirk, Caleb was sure he had witnessed it before the beast crept back into the long grass
Despite feeling like road kill, Caleb managed to remove his helmet and take deep, heaving breaths. Only the notion that he could end up under someone else’s wheels gave him enough impetus to get back on his feet. The torn patches of skin and bruised ribs would heal quickly, but for now they hurt like fuck.
He hobbled over to the bike and heaved it upright. The screaming pain in his chest and the jellied condition of his legs made it impossible for him to get back on. Using it as a crutch instead, he headed back to the cottage. Now he knew what he had to do.
* * * *
“Oh my God. Caleb! What the hell happened to you?” Mia rushed across the bar to check him over so thoroughly that he could almost believe she cared.
“I came off the bike.” The cuts and bruises must have looked as bad as they felt, judging by her horrified reaction.
“Are you okay?”
He shrugged off the small hands touching his face, suddenly irritated by the open display of affection.
“I’m fine. It’s no big deal, it happens all the time.” Usually without the assistance of someone’s murderous ex-boyfriend.
“No big deal? Look at the state of you.” She gestured at the raw skin showing through his ripped clothes.
“Don’t worry. It won’t happen again.” He carried on over to the bar and ordered a beer from a shell-shocked Naomi.
“What do you mean? You can’t know that for sure.” Mia really didn’t have the right to play the nagging other half when she clearly only wanted him for one thing.
He took a sip of beer. “I sold my bike.”
“You did what?”
If only he’d kept his fridge stocked at home, he wouldn’t have had to endure her fake concern.
“I don’t need it for now, but I do need the cash to pay for the house repairs.” The dealer had been only too glad to get his hands on the bike. Caleb could always get a new one with the proceeds from the house sale.
“But you love that bike.”
“Love isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Is
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